One hour later
Altair and Eugene dismounted from Maximus as they reached the bridge on the edge of the lake that led to Corona. A sense of unease was filling both of them like water filling up a tank, not only because of the probability that Rapunzel and the town were now under Al Mualim's control but also because of the way everything had changed around here now. The sky was now mostly cloudy with tiny little breaks of sunlight getting through to the Earth, yet far off in the distance was completely blue sky and sun, which only nerved the two more as this layer of cloud was a kind of small circular shape hovering over the city like some kind of guard watching over a group of prisoners.
"I don't like the looks of this," Eugene said. Altair nodded in agreement.
"Neither do I," he replied. "But you must control your fear, Eugene," he told him. "If you let it overtake you then that is what could kill you,"
Eugene nodded. "Right, I'll remember that,"
The three began to set off into the town across the bridge towards Corona. As they went, their unease did begin to increase within them. They could see no one about on the bridge, not a guard or another traveller, or even anyone in the parts of the city in front of them which was usually busy at this time of day.
As the three entered the city, it felt like entering a new world. At once, they seemed to have breached this invisible barrier between the bridge and the city. On the bridge side, they felt safe and ready, not on the city side they felt as if they were being watched and that they would not be ready for whatever might happen to them. That question did strike them hard: what would happen to them now they were in Corona? With Al Mualim in control, would he attack them or had he left? Altair placed a hand on his sword and Eugene kept the dagger in his pocket close by clasping a hand tightly around the handle of it, both of them ready to face whatever might come out to face them.
"I don't like the looks of this," Eugene said as he scanned the street around them, seeing nothing at all. Everything was still intact but there was no one at all! "It's too quiet, especially for Corona,"
"I fear something might have happened," Altair replied. "Do you think the Crusaders might have attacked?" he asked.
Eugene shook his head. "Nah, couldn't have. The guards in this city outnumbered them greatly and plus with their leaders gone and them being diminished, I doubt they'd want to start trouble. Besides," he nodded at the street around them. "There's no destruction or any bodies or anything," he paused for a moment as if taking in the scene again, trying to figure out why the entire city looked, and probably even was, abandoned. "It's as if everyone just left,"
"Either that or they've gone to the castle," Altair suggested.
Maximus suddenly snorted and nodded ahead towards the first courtyard, sounding alert and afraid. Altair and Eugene looked and saw nothing. What was wrong with Maximus? Why was he acting all scared and-
"Wait!" Altair pointed ahead towards the side of the courtyard. Eugene looked and saw what he was pointing at.
Standing there next to a shop was a person. It was a man of about twenty three with blonde hair, green eyes and was dressed in a kind of grey top and trousers and small black shoes. He just stood by the edge of the shop, staring ahead towards the castle as if he was a statue. Altair gingerly approached him with Eugene and Maximus behind close behind.
"Excuse me, sir?" Altair inquired. The man turned his head to look at them, revealing his emotionless eyes, but an unharmed face, the same with his body. There were no cuts or blood on it, further making it impossible for the suggestion of an attack having taking place.
"You will walk the path," he said, pointing at them.
The three stopped. "What?" Altair asked.
"You must see the light, young man," the man continued. He pointed in the direction of the castle. "Go to Al Mualim, he will make you see sense,"
"What sense!" Altair demanded. "You must speak sense,"
"All who reject Al Mualim's truth shall perish,"
Altair shook his head. "You've gone mad,"
"And you have become ignorant,"
Altair sighed frustratingly. "Come, we must go," he said to Eugene and Maximus, leading them away from the man towards the path, which led away towards the castle, where Salad's carpentry was.
"Hopefully Salad can tell us what is going on," Eugene said.
"He might not be here though," Altair told him. "My master and Al Mualim are close friends so he might be at the castle,"
Eugene paused where he was for a moment, almost making Maximus walk right into him. Altair noticed this and stopped as well.
"What is it?" he asked.
"If Salad and your master know each other, then whose side will he be on?" Eugene told him, a hint of fear in his voice.
Altair looked down at the ground, his eyes filling with doubt. Eugene was right. Whose side would Salad be on now that Al Mualim was here? Would he be on theirs or his? Even though this was regarding if what the captain had said to him was true, Altair could not help but feel a little worried about this. What if Salad had betrayed them then? Well, there would not be a lot they could do about it. The only thing they could hope for was that they could bring him back to their side.
The two reached Salad's carpentry to find the door open wide as if someone had just walked in. Keeping their weapons close, Altair and Eugene looked inside but saw nothing. In fact, nothing actually seemed out of the ordinary, everything was where it should be. The table was still in the middle of the room, none of the pictures were on the floor, the counter and the shelves behind it were in fine condition, none of the rugs were scattered everywhere. It just looked as if someone had left. Probably Salad.
"Wait here, Max," Eugene said to the horse and walked inside with Altair.
"I'll check this room. You look behind the counter," Altair said to Eugene, who nodded and walked over to the counter and climbed over it, kneeling down to begin searching the shelves for something that looked out of place.
Altair emerged from the room he had been sleeping in a few moments later. "Nothing in there," he said. "It's as if he just left,"
"Don't forget what happened earlier," Eugene reminded him. "He might have opened the door thinking it was us returning and the captain and the guards might have grabbed him,"
Altair nodded slightly, looking over at the rugs. "Probably," he muttered.
Eugene searched through the shelves, looking for something amongst the papers and the books that were buried here. There had to be something, anything here that looked like it would be different and could help them. Possibly a note or a letter or…anything, just anything.
Wait, what was this? On the top shelf below the counter was a small tied up scroll that looked to be quite new. All the others were covered in dust, but this one was not. Curious, Eugene grabbed it and stood up from behind the counter.
"Hey, Altair," he piped up. His friend came over and took the scroll and opened it up to reveal Arabic writing on it. Eugene climbed over the counter and stood behind Altair, looking down at it. "What's it say?" he asked.
"It says," Altair began and he cleared his throat as if he was about to read a speech and began to recite. "Dear Altair, I have distressing news. I have just returned from Solomon's Temple and I have learned of-" Altair paused and went a little wide-eyed at what he was reading. "Revelations!" he muttered to himself, but shook his head clear of the shock and read on. "Robert de Sable had left his journal in the temple and I found out from that book who this tenth Templar is, my brother. It is Al Mualim!" Altair began to sound a little more dramatic as if he was learning this for the first time."He had used us all along, my brother and he is heading towards you in Corona right this minute. I hope this gets to you before he does. Good luck, Altair,"
He rolled up the letter and sighed, throwing it onto the table, and looked at Eugene. "So it is true," he said as if unable to truly believe what he had just read. "Al Mualim has betrayed us,"
Eugene nodded slightly. "Well…let's just hope he'll be easy to beat," he said.
"I doubt that," Altair replied but that was as far as he got before another snort from outside caused the two to run out to find Maximus standing alert, looking up the path in the direction of the castle. He nodded up the path to a group of people standing in the courtyard at the end.
"C'mon," Eugene said, running ahead towards the group; Altair and Maximus following close behind. As they neared the courtyard, they saw that the group of people was about ten altogether and, like the man they had seen moments ago, they were all staring ahead towards the castle as if they were in a kind of trance.
As the three neared the group, Eugene recognized a short and large man among them. It was Joseph. He rushed over to him and grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him to face him, revealing his eyes to be empty completely just like when they had seen that grey man minutes ago.
"Joseph," Eugene said, tapping his cheek with his hand in an attempt to shake him out of his trance. "Joseph, snap out of it!"
He just looked up at Eugene and uttered: "Al Mualim, the great! Guide us, command us!"
"Al Mualim, the great! Guide us, command us!" the crowd chirruped.
Eugene stepped back from Joseph, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. Somehow Al Mualim was controlling him and the city. No one would be able to help them. They were on their own.
"My master's treasure has been put to a great use," Altair said. "If it can do this under his control, then I hope we can beat him,"
Eugene nodded slightly. "Same here," he replied, walking over. "Let's just hope Rapunzel is oka-" he froze, his mind suddenly realising something. Oh God! Rapunzel! His mind had been so overcome with what they were seeing here that he had completely forgotten about her. "Rapunzel," he whispered worryingly.
Before Altair could ask what was wrong, Eugene ran past him up the next pathway towards the castle. Altair, surprised at first, raced after him with Maximus following alongside.
After a few hectic moments, they came to a halt outside the gates of the castle courtyard, which were open slight ajar. Eugene approached them cautiously in case there was someone waiting for them. He poked his head through the gap between the gates and gasped.
"What is it?" Altair asked, coming over, only to see what it was. Maximus came over and his eyes too went wide as dinner plates.
In the courtyard seemed to be almost the whole town's population. There were hundreds of people, all of them staring at the castle as if they were attracted to it in some way. Even a few guards were among the crowd, but none of them had their weapons drawn. Some of them were repeating "Al Mualim, guide us, command us!" or "Al Mualim will lead us to the light," in unison as if they were all robots and were programmed to say these things at the same time. It was quite creepy to see all this going on in front of the three as they stepped into the courtyard.
Eugene then saw someone among the crowd with a crown on the person's head. Moving closer, going around one of the Christian priest women standing next to him, he saw it was the king. The queen was standing next to him. He rushed forward over to them.
"Your majesty!" he exclaimed, shaking him when he reached him. The king did not respond, but just continued staring ahead at the castle. Eugene shook him again. "Your majesty, please snap out of it!" Still he got no response and moved onto the queen. "Your majesty, wake up! Please!" he begged. "Snap out of it! Where's Rapunzel?"
"Save your energy, Eugene," Altair told him, walking past towards the castle. "We're going to have to face him alone,"
Eugene gave him a slightly worried look as if to say: "Are you serious?" but nodded after a moment and followed him, but stopped quickly and turned to Maximus.
"Max, you need to stay here," he said.
Maximus snorted in surprise, which Eugene could tell through his eyes going wide. What! He had to stay here? Why? He had helped them and they might need him!
"I know what you're thinking, Max, but me and Altair have to face Al Mualim alone," Eugene said to him. Maximus shook his head.
"He's right, Max," Altair interfered, making the two look up at him. "Stay here. We'll be out soon,"
Before Maximus could protest, Eugene turned and followed Altair up the steps to the main door of the castle and they pushed it open and stepped into the foyer.
Only if we don't get killed Altair mentally reminded himself with a sense of fear as the door closed, sealing them off from Maximus and the outside world.
What would happen to Corona now would be decided here in the castle.